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From: James Yorton
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Subject: RESEND - incoming Cameron's Pamphlets
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-- RESEND --
[ also forward to the guy who does the QRD RRR web pages -Jim ]
This report was initiated by the Kentucky Gay and Lesbian Educational Center
(now the Kentucky Gay and Lesbian Archives and Library, operated by the
Williams-Nichols Institute, Inc., of Louisville, Kentucky) with the following
objectives:
1. To investigate research done by the Institute for the Scientific
Investigation of Sexuality (ISIS) of Lincoln, Nebraska and its chairman of the
board, Paul Cameron, in order to determine its accuracy and validity.
2. To research Paul Cameron's background in order to gain deeper insight
into the man and thus, ultimately, his research.
Areas of investigation included nine pamphlets issued by ISIS on the subject
of homosexuality, the "gay lifestyle," and related issues; and articles and
letters to the editors of various magazines which have been written by or
about Paul Cameron. The nine pamphlets (copies of which are available for
free through the Williams-Nichols Institute, Inc.) are as follows:
1. "Medical Aspects of Homosexuality" (1985)
2. "Child Molestation and Homosexuality" (1985)
3. "Murder, Violence and Homosexuality" (1985)
4. "AIDS, The Blood Supply, and Homosexuality" (1985)
5. "What Homosexuals Do (Its [sic] More Than Disgusting)" (1986)
6. "The Psychology of Homosexuality" (1984)
7. "What Causes Homosexuality And Can It Be Cured?" (1984)
8. "Homosexuality: Everybody's Problem" (1985)
9. "Criminality, Social Disruption and Homosexuality" (1984)
In particular, the following questions were asked while performing this study:
1. Does information footnoted in the ISIS pamphlets accurately reflect
information contained in the original sources?
2. Can the conclusions reached in the ISIS pamphlets and the articles by
Paul Cameron be supported by the sources referenced in those pamphlets and
articles?
3. Are the pamphlets consistent with one another?
All research was conducted by David Williams, Director of the Williams-
Nichols Institute, during 1986-1987. Of the 52 articles cited in the
pamphlets, 45 articles were located for this study. Of the 37 books, 10 books
and the companion volume to another book were located. Of the 31
miscellaneous materials (pamphlets, court cases, newspaper articles, ISIS
publications, psychological papers, non-psychological magazines, electronic
broadcasts, etc.), only 2 ISIS publications were available. This study therefore
does not deal with every referenced quote in the nine ISIS pamphlets, but
only those for which source material was available at the time of research.
Quotes whose references were not available could not be validated.
Most of the articles and books referenced by ISIS in its pamphlets were
available through the Health Sciences Library and the Ekstrom Library of the
University of Louisville; and the Louisville Free Public Library.
Because this study involved research of anti-gay materials by a gay and
lesbian organization, it was evident from the start that charges of bias could
very easily be made against this study. For this reason, every due precaution
was taken to ensure accuracy and to eliminate even the hint of bias in the
wording of this study. The Williams-Nichols Institute feels confident that the
results of this study can be replicated by any disinterested researcher, given
the same materials.
Based on its research of the nine ISIS pamphlets cited above, the Williams-
Nichols Institute, Inc. has reached the following conclusions.
1. ISIS, in these pamphlets, consistently uses studies of a non-representative
nature to make generalizations about homosexuals and homosexual activity.
Many of the authors of these articles and books clearly state that the findings
reached in their research are not to be extrapolated to the homosexual
population as a whole. One book ("Homosexualities," by Bell and Weinberg,
1978) even goes so far as to say that "given the variety of circumstances
which discourage homosexuals from participating in research studies, it is
unlikely that any investigator will ever be in a position to say that this or
that is true of a given percentage of all homosexuals" (p. 22). The Bell and
Weinberg book itself makes no claims to representativeness; yet the ISIS
pamphlets use data from this and many other books and articles as if it were
true of the general homosexual population.
2. In several instances, ISIS repeatedly uses information from a research
study which its Chairman, Paul Cameron, has criticized elsewhere as
inaccurate and not worth of more than a "D-" (see Nebraska Medical Journal,
March 1986, p. 80). "Homosexualities," by Bell and Weinberg, cited above, is
used in seven of the nine pamphlets, more than any other source except one--
Cameron's own 1983 study. Yet in his March 1986 letter to the Nebraska
Medical Journal, Cameron makes numerous criticisms of this same book and
concludes that "I would bet on the national generalizability of our study
rather than his findings," apparently forgetting that ISIS used
"Homosexualities" to back many of its claims! The greatest irony is that Bell
and Weinberg never claimed that their findings were generalizable to the
homosexual population in America in the first place!
3. In some instances, the ISIS pamphlets distort and even fabricate statistics
and findings to support their conclusions. These statistics and findings
cannot be found in the works cited as their sources.
4. The ISIS pamphlets show certain internal inconsistencies. To cite just one
example, Pamphlet #1 states that gays "average about 30 different sexual
partners per year" (p. 2). In Pamphlet #5, it's "somewhere between 20...and
106 different partners/year" (p. 1), which does not necessarily negate the
quote in Pamphlet #1, but is at least misleading. Pamphlet #7 claims that
gays average "perhaps 300 to 500 different partners in a lifetime" (pp. 1, 3),
thereby lowering the annual average considerably. In Pamphlet #8, it's an
average of "30 to 100 different men each year" (p. 2). Other internal
inconsistencies are also evident.
5. Some statistics are misleading. for example, in Pamphlet #3, p. 2,
concerning homosexual versus heterosexual mass murders, Larry Eyler, a
homosexual, is listed as having murdered 19 men, when in actuality he was
merely suspected in most of these deaths, and convicted of only one of the
murders. Similarly, Wayne Williams, the Atlanta child murderer, is listed as
having murdered 23 individuals, when in fact he was convicted in only a
handful of those murders. Other misleading information is contained
throughout these pamphlets.
6. The ISIS pamphlets fail to define certain terms. For example, sometimes
the terms "gays" and "homosexuals" are used to refer to male homosexuals
only, while at other times they are used to refer to both male and female
homosexuals (lesbians). Which definition is being used at any particular
time is not always made clear.
7. Paul Cameron's own reliability is suspect. In a much publicized incident
reported by newspapers in Lincoln, Nebraska, Cameron stated that the
genitals of a four-year-old boy had been horribly mutilated by a homosexual
in a local restroom. Checks made by two independent newspapers, however,
pointed out that this and similar rumors had no factual basis; indeed, that
police were "baffled as to the origin of the story." When later pressed by the
"Lincoln Star" about the story, Cameron admitted that the rumor was without
foundation ("Lincoln Star," May 10, 1982). He went on to insist, however,
that it "could be true." Such conduct tends to call into question not only his
character, but his abilities as a research, not to mention his motives. It also
casts doubt on the nature of research conducted by ISIS, of which Cameron is
Chairman.
8. Cameron's own reputation as a researcher has been called into serious
question by other psychologists, including former colleagues at the
University of Nebraska in Lincoln, and Dr. Alan Bell of the Kinsey Institute in
Bloomington, Indiana. Dr. Bell in particular has stated that "For him
[Cameron] to use our figures to estimate differences between homosexuals
and heterosexuals across the board in the general population is ludicrous"
("The Advocate," October 29, 1985).
Drs. Robert D. Brown and James K. Cole, former colleagues of Cameron's,
have written that "Cameron's credibility as a scientist whose data and data
analyses can be trusted has been seriously compromised by evidence that he
has systematically distorted data to support assertions he has made
regarding homosexuality."
Dr. Nicholas Groth, Director of the Sex Offender Program at the Connecticut
Department of Correction, has complained to the Nebraska Board of
Examiners of Psychologists that Cameron "misrepresents my findings and
distorts them to advance his homophobic views." The American Psychological
Association dropped Cameron from its membership for "lack of cooperation
with the Committee on Scientific and Professional Ethics and Conduct"
(according to Cameron himself).
He has also been twice censured by the Nebraska Psychological Association
and once by the Midwest Sociological Society. The American Sociological
Association and the Society for the Study of Social Problems have both passed
resolutions recommending a critical evaluation of, and public response to,
Cameron's work. Conclusions reached by the present study tend to support
the responses of these professional psychologists, sociologists, and
organizations to Paul Cameron and his writings.
9. Of minor note, certain inaccuracies, flaws, and typographical errors are
apparent in the footnotes in some of these pamphlets.
A detailed listing of available references used by ISIS to support its claims,
along with brief comments, is contained in Appendix A. A non-definitive
listing of articles by Paul Cameron, and a brief biography, are presented in
Appendix B.
JOURNALS
A sampling of the journals used in the ISIS pamphlets to support their
assertions. (For a complete list of all citations, send $15 to Williams-Nichols
Institute, Inc., PO Box 4264, Louisville, KY 40204).
Biggar, R.J., Melbye, M., Ebbesen, P., et al. Low t-lymphocyte ratios in
homosexual men. Journal of the American Medical Association, 1984,
251(11), 1441-1446. Cited in Pamphlet #5.
Pamphlet #5 uses this source as the basis for some of the general statistics
on homosexual activity, such as that 69% of gays used illegal drugs, average
number of sexual partners was 27, 86% engaged in "oral/penile" sexual
activity and 92% in "anal/penile" activity. This study was used, along with
others, to conclude that "Gays are an octopus of infection stretching across
the world."
The Biggar article is a study of 26 homosexuals from Aarhus and 106
homosexuals from Copenhagen, Denmark, and clearly notes that the
participants "were unlikely to be representative of the general homosexual
community in either city" (p. 1443) and therefore homosexuals in general.
The representativeness of the sample is made even less likely by the fact that
many of the Copenhagen homosexuals originally invited to participate in the
survey did not come "possibly owing to a hail storm at the time of the second
Copenhagen clinic" (p. 1443). Therefore, to make generalizations about all
homosexuals from the statistics in this small study is impossible.
Boushey, H.A., Warnock, D.G., and Smith, L.H. (Medical Staff Conference): The
acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)--a multidisciplinary enigma.
The Western Journal of Medicine, 1984, 140, 66-81. Cited in Pamphlet #4
Pamphlet #4 misspelled Dr. Boushey's name as "Boushet." It uses Boushey's
study to saw that "Mortality [of persons with AIDS] is almost 100% after 3
years from diagnosis, 80% after 2 years." At the time of Boushey's article,
this was true.
However, Pamphlet #4 goes on to say that "In every Western country in which
AIDS has been reported, the first persons stricken are gays, then, over time,
others become infected." The only western countries that the Boushey article
mention are the United States and Haiti. Boushey's article refers to men of
Italian and Jewish extraction but not to Italy, Israel, or any other country per
se. Even more telling, the article does not say anywhere that the first persons
stricken are gays, and then "others."
Finally, concerning blood donations by gays, Pamphlet #4 quotes Dr. Selma K.
Dritz of the Department of Public Health, City and County of San Francisco,
as saying that "Flatly ruling out blood donations from an entire segment of
society would be 'defamatory.'" Unfortunately, the first quote could not be
located and so we have no way at present of knowing it if its accurate; it
comes from an article in the "Wall Street Journal" for March 12, 1984. The
pamphlet further indicates that Dr. Dritz is "sophisticated" enough to "have
nine health workers in my roster." However, from the way in which Pamphlet
#4 is worded, it is not clear whether the word "sophisticated" was meant to be
constructed as part of a direct quote.
Broder, S., and Gallo, R.C. A pathogenic retrovirus (HTLV-III) linked to AIDS.
The New England Journal of Medicine, 1984, 311(2), 1292-1297. See also
Seligman, Chess, Fahey, et al., below. Cited in Pamphlet #4. Pamphlet #4
lists this as "Special Articles" without distinguishing the authors of two
separate articles underneath this heading.
Pamphlet #4 uses this source and others to back its claim that "recent
summaries of AIDS prevention consider only a vaccine in the effort...to
provide disease control for all who are at risk." The pamphlet goes on to
state that health officials are reluctant co condemn homosexual acts "even
though gay sex is FAR more certainly damaging to health."
The Broder and Gallo study mentions seven "future goals" to be achieved in
the fight against AIDS, one of which is a vaccine, and none of which condemn
homosexual activity; the pamphlet is therefore correct in that assertion.
However, the Broder article is a discussion of the AIDS crisis by doctors for
doctors; i.e., it was written from a strictly medical viewpoint, as opposed to a
sociological or religious study. Comments on the morals of those infected
with the virus would therefore have been out of place.
Burgess, A.W., Groth, A.N., & McCausland, M.P. Child sex initiation rings.
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 1981, 51(1), 110-119. Cited in
Pamphlet #2.
In Pamphlet #2, a table of child molestation statistics is printed, based on
numerous studies going back to 1953. The table purports to show the ratios
of heterosexual to homosexual assaults (3:5), and the ratios of girl to boy
victims (3:2). The problem with using the Burgess study in this manner is
that it is not representative of homosexuals in general: nowhere in the text
do the authors claim that their study can be generalized to the homosexual
OR heterosexual populations. As the study clearly states in the synopsis on
p. 110, it is an outline of "the workings of child sex initiation rings" and
nothing more. At any rate, the sample is way too small: seven men involved
with 22 boys and 14 girls. Four of these rings were homosexual in nature,
two were heterosexual, and one man had sex with both male and female
children.
Cameron, P., Proctor, K., Coburn, W., et al. Sexual orientation and sexually
transmitted disease. Nebraska Medical Journal, August 1985, 292-299. Cited
in Pamphlet #5. See also Letters to the Editor from Joel Brodsky and Scott
Stebelman (October 1985); Paul Cameron (December 1985); Harry J. Crockett,
Jr. (Chair of the Department of Sociology, University of Nebraska at Lincoln)
and Paul Cameron (March 1986); all in the same journal.
The Cameron article describes in great detail the way in which a survey by
ISIS was conducted, and the results of that survey. This is the survey which
he continues to use as the basis for many of his claims about homosexuality
even today (1994). Included in the article were elaborate statistics and
tables. The findings of the article are similar in nature to those contained in
the nine ISIS pamphlets, and so there is no need to describe in further detail
what this one article says.
On the surface, the article seems to be authoritative and comprehensive:
most laymen would probably take it at face value. However, subsequent
letters to the editor of the "Nebraska Medical Journal," and Cameron's own
printed responses to those letters, cast severe doubts on the credibility of this
article and the ISIS random survey itself.
The most in-depth comments came from Drs. Robert D. Brown and James K.
Cole of Lincoln, Nebraska. Brown and Cole pointed out five major problems
with the Cameron article (and the ISIS survey):
1. Improper sampling process
2. Poor return rate on questionnaires
3. The questionnaire itself
4. Data analysis
5. Interpretation of data.
As Brown and Cole note, Cameron and his colleagues omitted significant
information about the sampling process. Cameron, et al., refer to a
"systematic area cluster sampling" process, yet no information is given on
how sampling areas were selected or how many areas and what
neighborhoods were finally selected. Cameron, et al., also fail to reveal why
they chose the five cities in their survey over other cities. Brown and Cole
suggest that these cities were merely "convenient" to the researchers, and
indeed it is curious that Paul Cameron has studied or taught in or near the
five cities that were used in this survey (Los Angeles, Denver, Omaha,
Louisville, and Washington DC). They also asked why sample areas in these
five cities were not proportionate in size (Omaha had more responses than
Los Angeles). The article did not explain this.
Concerning the return rate, Brown and Cole note that more than half of all
those who were provided questionnaires did not respond. "Experienced and
qualified researchers would not base any definitive conclusions on such a
limited return," Brown and Cole state, "and if they did, they would note the
limitations of their study and the possible lack of generalization of their
findings." Brown and Cole also wonder why the sampling method, as the
Cameron article states, "was somewhat biased toward soliciting homosexuals."
They also question a statement made in the Cameron article that "It was our
impression that sexually conservative people were more apt to refuse to
cooperate." As Brown and Cole comment, "This is the first we have heard in
our research experience that 'impressions' are acceptable and credible data."
The questionnaire itself seemed too lengthy to Brown and Cole, as did the
method of distributing the questionnaire. "How many people," they asked, "do
you know would voluntarily and honestly fill out a 550 item questionnaire
which queried them about highly personal habits and was administered by a
stranger who came to the door?...In no respectable community of survey
researchers would this be characterized as scientific." They also noted that
some people enjoy having a bit of fun with researchers and do not respond
truthfully. Cameron, et al., do not seem to have conducted any face-to-face
interviews--another problem with their survey techniques.
Brown and Cole noted major discrepancies in the data analysis as well as data
interpretation. They term the discussion section of the article "demagoguery,
not those that a serious scholar would make."
Perhaps the most telling portion of the Brown and Cole article concerns a
well-publicized incident involving Paul Cameron which occurred during a
referendum campaign in Lincoln, Nebraska for a gay rights ordinance in
1982. Brown and Cole's summary of this incident is printed in its entirety
below.
"Perhaps the most disturbing statement made by Dr. Cameron, however,
occurred at the University of Nebraska Lutheran Chapel on May 3, 1982. In
a tape recording obtained by the "Lincoln Star" newspaper, Cameron is quoted
as saying: 'Right now here in Lincoln there is a 4 year-old boy who has had
his genitals almost severed from his body at Gateway in a restroom with a
homosexual act.' A "Lincoln Star" article, May 8, 1982, was titled 'Cameron
Used False Report.' This article and articles in the "Star" and "Lincoln
Journal," May 6, 1982, pointed out that checks with Lincoln police indicated
that this and similar rumors about a 7 year-old boy and a 14 year-old son of
a prominent Lincoln family had no factual basis. Police were reported as
'baffled as to the origin of the story.' On May 10, 1982, the following
editorial statement appeared in the "Lincoln Star."
"'A leading opponent of the proposed Lincoln Human Rights Amendment
spreads rumors of an alleged vicious incident calculated to damage the
proposal's chances at the polls. When asked about it, he admits the rumor
was without foundation. He refused to say from whom he heard the rumor.
He says he will not use the rumor again unless he finds it to be true.
Nonetheless, he still insists it "could be true," even through [sic] responsible
authorities in the city say there is not a shred of evidence such an incident
ever took place. The seed is planted, to the contrary.'" [end of Brown and
Cole quote]
Paul Cameron wrote a letter in response to Brown and Cole in the same
journal in March 1986 (pp. 76-81). Concerning the problems noted by
Brown and Cole in the sampling process, Cameron does something which
should lay to rest any further notions about his credibility as a researcher:
he criticizes as inaccurate a study which, on the other hand, his organization
used in seven of its pamphlets to supports its own conclusions!
The study in question is the same book which ISIS uses to support a statistics
that 90% of gays and 65% of lesbians engage in oral/anal sex. This book is
the Bell and Weinberg book, "Homosexualities" (1978). In his March 1986
letter to the editor of the Nebraska journal, Cameron notes that Bell and
Weinberg matched 477 "mainly heterosexuals" with 979 homosexuals, which
he says "would, on the face of it, appear to be one of the more amazing bits of
'matching magic' in the annals of science." He also cites other problems with
the Bell and Weinberg study which Cameron's own "random" study allegedly
did not have.
If this is Cameron's considered opinion of the Bell and Weinberg book, then it
is absolutely amazing that his organization would nevertheless use this book
to support its assertions in seven of its nine pamphlets. In other words,
Cameron's letter to the editor attempts to invalidate the very same study that
his group used elsewhere to validate its own claims! The greatest irony in all
of this is that the Bell and Weinberg study never claimed to be representative
of gays and lesbians in the first place; and so Cameron finds himself in the
dubious position of questioning the representativeness of a study which its
authors never claimed to be representative in the first place! Bell himself
has said that Cameron has misrepresented his data.
The rest of Cameron's response to Brown and Cole descends into comments
on their "character" and the professionalism of the American Psychological
Association, which he terms "pro-humanism, anti-Christian, pro-selfism...pro-
feminism, pro-gay, pro-abortion." He even blames the APA for being "partly
responsible for the AIDS epidemic." Therefore, the 1983 ISIS study--which
forms the basis for much of Cameron's later claims about gays and lesbians--
lacks credibility both within itself and within the scientific community in
general. Although it is used throughout the ISIS pamphlets to support
various outrageous claims and statistics, it has no validity.
Corey, L., and Holmes, K.K. Sexual transmission of hepatitis A in homosexual
men. New England Journal of Medicine, 1980, 302(8), 435-438. Cited in
Pamphlets #4 and #5.
Pamphlets #4 and #5 use this study as the source for several assertions
about homosexual practices, such as that gays average 106 different
partners per year (which he says may be too low); that homosexuals ingest
semen from half of their partners (note that he uses "homosexuals" here,
which would include lesbians as well--another instance of inaccurate use of
terms); and that 90% of gays admit to oral/anal contact and 70% practice it
regularly.
The problem is, the Corey study on which the pamphlet's assertions are based
cannot be generalized to the entire homosexual population: it makes no
claims of representativeness. The men studied were not a true random
sample, because all of them were patients of a sexually transmitted disease
control clinic in Seattle; that is to say, they all had reason to seek medical
help before the study was performed.
The Corey study involved "129 homosexual men who were enrolled at the
Harborview Medical Center's clinic for sexually transmitted disease in Seattle,
usually after treatment for gonorrhea or for other sexually transmitted
diseases" (p. 435). 102 of these were followed for at least three months: this
was the "study population." Six were later dropped from the study. 57
heterosexual men with recurrent genital herpes simplex virus infection were
also recruited from the same clinic for the study (the ISIS pamphlets do not
mention these heterosexuals). The 102 homosexuals were asked to keep
diaries concerning "the time and type of each sexual contact and the number
of sexual partners." 96 of these diaries were useable. The heterosexuals did
not keep diaries but were interviewed monthly about their sexual activity.
Statistics were then culled from these self-reports.
The article is simply an attempt to discover if any particular sexual habits
might be conducive to infection by hepatitis A. The study concluded that
hepatitis A infection was "correlated with frequent oral-anal sexual contact"
(p. 435).
The ISIS pamphlets use this study to support several assertions, none of
which can be said to be true of the general homosexual population. Some of
the statistics ISIS uses are accurate for the study population of 96 gay men
and 57 heterosexuals; but they cannot be extrapolated to the general
population of either group because they do not represent a true
random sample.
Interestingly enough, the ISIS pamphlets use this one study to assert, at
various times, that gays average "30" (Pamphlet #4), "between 20 and 106"
(Pamphlet #5) and "closer to 100" (Pamphlet #5) sexual partners per year.
In the Corey study, 36 homosexuals had hepatitis A at the onset of the study
or contracted it during the study; these 36 homosexuals had an average of
2.3 partners per month with whom they engaged in oral/anal sex (or 28
partners per year). 60 homosexuals who did not have the virus nor contract
it during the study averaged 1.4 partners per month (15 per year). ISIS does
not make this distinction between infected and non-infected men. The ISIS
assertions are therefore a total misrepresentation of the data in the Corey
study.
Craft, M. Boy prostitutes and their fate. British Journal of Psychiatry, 1966,
112, 1111- 1114. Cited in Pamphlet #2.
The Craft article is a followup study of 33 boy prostitutes in Britain, 16 of
whom prostituted themselves "in the community" and 17 mainly in
institutions. The article clearly states that its selection of subjects is "small
in number and biased due to selection from a psychiatric practice among the
behaviourly disordered." Further basis were also mentioned. The study is
therefore not representative of male hustlers or their sexual partners.
Pamphlet #2 uses this study in the following statement: "A follow-up of 33
boy prostitutes reports that at least one had had homosexual relations with
one of his teachers...." This seems to be based on the following quote from
Craft: "Two community boys were admitted from approved schools where
they were successfully seducing prefects and one master" (p. 1113). First of
all, it is clear that the initiators of the sexual activity were the boys and not
the teacher; and secondly the article does not indicate that the teacher was
"his" teacher, as the ISIS pamphlet states: it could have been any teacher
("master") at the school.
Certainly any sexual activity between adults and children cannot be condoned.
The ISIS pamphlet, however, totally distorts the Craft study because it uses
the study in the context of homosexuals who seduce young men. This is a
particularly clear instance of the ways in which Isis tends to twist statistics
in totally inappropriate ways to make its points.
Fitch, J.H. Men convicted of sexual offences against children. British Journal
of Criminology, 1962, 3, 18-37. Cited in Pamphlet #2.
The ISIS pamphlet states that this is a study of 147 men convicted of
pedophilia. However, Fitch clearly states that eight of these men had to be
excluded, leaving 139 men for the study (p. 18). 77 of these men were
convicted of heterosexual offenses, and 62 of homosexual ones (p. 18),
creating a ratio of 1.24:1 heterosexual:homosexual, not 1:1, as the ISIS
pamphlet indicates. Of the 61 men who had more than one conviction for a
sexual offense, 11 had committed both homosexual and heterosexual offenses.
No distinction for these 11 men is made in the total of 139 men, however.
The Fitch article states clearly that "this study is submitted solely as an
example of the possibilities afforded to the differential treatment of offenders
by a system of classification." Since all of these men were in prison at the
time of the study, they do not represent either heterosexuals or homosexuals
in general. Thus, none of the statistics can be extrapolated to the general
population of either group.
Franklin, D. Chimps infected with AIDS-linked virus. Science News, 1984,
126, 261. Cited in Pamphlet #4.
Pamphlet #4 quotes Dr. Robert Gallo as saying that the AIDS virus is
undergoing genetic change "more rapidly than I would have expected...." But
the pamphlet fails to mention what Dr. Gallo said immediately after that:
"the transformation is not nearly as rapid as that of many influenza viruses
that have eluded vaccine traps through quick genetic adaptation. There is as
yet no evidence...that the relatively mild variation among AIDS- related
isolates would necessitate the use of more than one vaccine" (p. 261). The
ISIS pamphlet chooses to use the most starting portion of Dr. Gallo's quote
to make its point, when, in its original context, the passage dealing with the
genetic transformations of HIV is not quite as frightening.
Groth, A.N. Sexual trauma in the life histories of rapists and child molesters.
Victimology, 1979, 4(1), 10-16. Cited in Pamphlet #2.
This is a study of 348 men "convicted of sexual assault and referred to a
security treatment center for diagnostic observation" (p. 11): hardly a
representative sample of heterosexuals or homosexuals, which the study
readily admits: "...this investigation into sexual trauma in the life histories of
rapists and child molesters is retrospective and reconstructive in design
rather than rigorous, highly detailed, and tightly controlled..." (p. 15). 170 of
these men sexually assaulted adult victims, and 178 sexually assaulted child
victims (p. 11). Of these 348 men, 106 reported evidence of some form of
sexual trauma during their developmental years (ages 1-15) (p. 11).
At any rate, ISIS completely distorts the one statistic it uses from the Groth
study. ISIS uses this study to claim the following: "Apparently at least 2 of
the 106 rapists and child molesters in [Groth] had had homosexual relations
with teachers." There is only one mention of teachers anywhere in the Groth
article: "In examining the relationships between subjects and their
assailants...thirty-five (33 percent) were close associates: friends, neighbors,
teachers, and the like" (p. 13). The sex of the teachers is not mentioned and
could therefore have been female. Furthermore, there is no mention of "two"
teachers. The way in which the Groth article uses the word "teachers" can be
construed as a generalization and not a specific; much as we speak of "lions
and tigers and bears" when there may be only one lion. The ISIS pamphlet
abuses Groth's statistics in this instance to a considerable degree.
Groth, A.N., & Birnbaum H.J. Adult sexual orientation and attraction to
underage persons. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 1978, 7(3), 175-181. Cited
in Pamphlet #2.
This article clearly states that "Homosexuality and homosexual pedophilia are
not synonymous. In fact, it may be that these two orientations are mutually
exclusive, the reason being that the homosexual male is sexually attracted to
masculine qualities whereas the heterosexual male is sexually attracted to
feminine characteristics, and the sexually immature child's qualities are more
feminine than masculine....In any case, in over 12 years of clinical experience
working with child molesters, we have yet to see any example of a regression
from an adult homosexual orientation" (pp. 180-181). The study even notes
the possibility that "the adult heterosexual male constitutes a greater risk to
the underage child than does the adult homosexual male" (p. 175). The Groth
and Birnbaum study was a random sample of 175 males convicted of sexual
assault against children, and thus was not representative of homosexuals in
general. The ISIS pamphlet fails to note this, however.
Pamphlet #2 uses this study to show that homosexuals are more apt to
commit child molestation than heterosexuals. But any statistics quoted by
ISIS represent a distortion of the study it references.
Landis, J.T. Experiences of 500 children with adult sexual deviation.
Psychiatric Quarterly Supplement, 1956, 30, 91-109. Cited in Pamphlet #2.
Pamphlet #2 uses this study to support a statistic in Table 1 which indicates
that the ratio of heterosexual or homosexual assaults reported by Landis was
3:2. However, the Landis study clearly states that "the sample in the present
study is not a random sample" (p. 92) and that "the limitations of the
questionnaire method are recognized" (p. 93). It notes that the information
in the responses is "useful in discovering experience patterns" (p. 93), but it
does not extrapolate its findings to any population, heterosexual or
homosexual. The ISIS pamphlet is therefore once again misleading. There
are also some errors in ISIS's ratios: the ratio of girls to boys who responded
to the questionnaire are almost 3:1, not 1:1 (as in ISIS' pamphlet), and the
women mentioned 531 sexual offenses to 215 for the men, a ratio of 3:1.2,
not 3:2.
Levy, J.A., Hoffman, A.D., Kramer, S.M., et al. Isolation of lympocytopathic
retroviruses from San Francisco patients with AIDS. Science, 1984, 225,
840-842. Cited in Pamphlet #8.
Pamphlet #8 uses this study to support the following quote: "As of August
1984...the profound promiscuity of gays has resulted in evidence that over
half of U.S. homosexuals have been infected with the retrovirus believed to
cause AIDS." But this conclusion cannot be reached from the Levy study. The
Levy article indicates that "infectious retroviruses have been detected in 22 of
45 randomly selected patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome
and in other individuals from San Francisco" (less than "half.") However, this
article is confined to the San Francisco area; it makes no claims to findings in
other areas and in no way suggests that "over half of U.S. homosexuals have
been infected with the retrovirus": a bald-faced lie by the authors of the ISIS
pamphlet.
Marwick, C. (Medical News): "Confidentiality" issues may cloud epidemiologic
studies of AIDS. Journal of the American Medical Association, 1983, 250(15),
1945-1946. Cited in
Pamphlet #1.
The ISIS quote in Pamphlet #1 is as follows:
"This emphasis upon 'protecting gays' feelings' has led the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC) to suspend normal tracking systems for individuals
infected with communicable disease. (Earlier, Dr. Allen of the AIDS Task
Force said, 'We hope this [tracking] will allow us to keep tabs on individual
cases. Because many of these patients are highly mobile, the CDC needs
identifying information on cases so as to avoid duplicate reporting...[and to
track] down mortality and the sequences of infections.' By compromising
normal tracking at the demand of the National Gay Task Force ('studies of
this type will definitely be held up,' stated Dr. Allen), our lives are being
endangered to placate gay feelings."
These quotes (which are accurate) are from an article on AIDS and the issue
of confidentiality written after the topic arose at a series of meetings on aids
in Washington, DC in the summer of 1983. The main gist of this article was
the importance of confidentiality that needs to be placed on reporting of
AIDS cases to the CDC. "Homosexuality and drug abuse are illegal in a number
of states," the article mentions. "Thus, many persons in AIDS risk groups
conceivably might be charged with crimes or lose their jobs if their names
were released to law enforcement agencies." Jeff Levi, then the Washington
representative of the National Gay Task Force, clearly states in the article
that "We could not be more interested in the gathering of accurate
information about AIDS. But we also firmly believe that reporting
mechanisms must guarantee confidentiality." another gay leader noted that
"The gay community must have confidence in what health professionals are
doing."
The ISIS pamphlet implies that normal tracking procedures for
communicable diseases have been compromised, but this is totally
misleading. The normal system has been modified so that the gay
community and local health departments will feel less reluctant to report
cases of AIDS to the CDC. As Dr. Allen notes, "we were at the point where
some health departments were refusing to send us names of patients or
indeed anything at all" because of lack of assurance of confidentiality. The
call for confidentiality was therefore not just a gay "demand."
In other words, the new system, far from endangering lives to placate gay
feelings, as the ISIS pamphlet states, was designed to ensure more accurate
reporting of all cases of AIDS through a new system of confidential checks.
Mavligit, G.M., Talpaz, M., Hsia, F.T., et al. Chronic immune stimulation by
sperm alloantigens. Journal of the American Medical Association, 1984,
251(2), 237-241. Cited in Pamphlets #1, 4, 5, 7, and 8. [Mavligit's name was
consistently misspelled in the ISIS pamphlets as "Manligit."] This is one of
Cameron's favorite sources.
The Mavligit study consisted of 15 male couples and one heterosexual couple.
It is therefore not representative of homosexuals in general and never
claimed to be. ISIS, however, consistently abused and misused data from this
study to make its assertions.
For instance, Pamphlet #1 mentions that "...when deposited in the rectum,
sperm breaks through the single layer of columnar epithelium and causes
massive immunological disruptions in the blood system..." Mavligit, however,
among other statements notes that "The frequent laceration of the sperm
recipient's rectal mucosa, coupled with the presence of colonic bacteria, may
not only create a better contact between the sperm and the immune
apparatus present in the blood and lymph but also provide an adjuvant
effect toward enhanced alloimmunization." In other words, Mavligit notes
that sperm under certain circumstances may break through the epithelium,
but that this is not necessarily true every time.
Later, Pamphlet #1 indicates that no gay relationships studied by Mavligit
lasted more than 60 months--a totally misleading statement. The gay
couples in the study had been together from nine to sixty months at the time
of the study, and by all indications these relationships were still going strong.
The sixty months figure refers to the longest lasting relationship in the study
group; in other words, the relationship had not ended, but the ISIS pamphlet
indicates otherwise. Cameron has used the 60-month statistic in numerous
places.
Pamphlet #1 also says that monogamous gays are "about as apt to develop
AIDS as 'wild ones'": another misrepresentation. The Mavligit article merely
postulates that "the development of sperm-induced immune dysregulation
may only predispose the anal-sperm- recipient homosexual males to the more
severe phenomena of opportunistic infections and Kaposi's sarcoma." At the
time of the study, the HTLV-III virus had not yet been isolated, and Mavligit
was merely proposing a scenario for development of AIDS.
In Pamphlet #7, ISIS uses this same study to conclude that "almost all gays
are wildly promiscuous." The Mavligit study, on the other hand, consisted of
"fifteen couples of healthy, asymptomatic, monogamous homosexual males"
(p. 239) and one heterosexual couple. There is no way that ISIS could have
deduced wild homosexual promiscuity from this research.
Other quotations throughout these pamphlets are equally as misleading or
false. But, as noted earlier, the Mavligit study never pretended to be a
representative sample of homosexual males in the first place.
McCaghy, C.H. Child molesting. Sexual Behavior, 1971, 1(5), 16-24. Cited in
Pamphlets #2 and 8.
Pamphlet #2 uses this article to support its conclusion that "...homosexual
offenders probably constitute about half of molesters who work with
children." This is worded essentially the same was as McCaghy wrote it.
However, her article cannot be generalized to the entire population--
homosexual or heterosexual. It is a study of "158 molesters incarcerated or
on probation in Wisconsin in 1964. All were at least 18 years old and their
victims were 13 years or younger" (p. 23): certainly not a representative
sample. Any statistics in the ISIS pamphlets which use Dr. McCaghy's
research cannot therefore be extrapolated to the general homosexual
population.
McKusick, L., et al. AIDS and sexual behavior reported by gay men in San
Francisco. American Journal of Public Health, 1985, 75(5), 493-96. Cited in
Pamphlet #5. Another one of Cameron's favorite sources.
Pamphlet #5 uses this study in several places, including the following: "The
McKusick study of 655 gays concluded that 'knowledge of health guidelines
was quite high, but this knowledge had no relation to sexual behavior.'
Indeed. Only 24% of his sample claimed to have been monogamous in the
past year, and of these 'gay good guys' 5% drank urine, 7% incorporated a
fist up their rectum, 33% ingested feces, 53% swallowed semen, and 59%
received semen in their rectum in the past month!"
Unfortunately for Cameron, the McKusick study can in no way be thought of
as representative: "The interpretations that follow," he says, "are made with
recognition of the study's inherent limitations: the sample is not random
and the response rate from those who were given the questionnaire is low;
retrospective data on sexual behavior one year ago may not be wholly
reliable." The McKusick study was of 655 gay males in San Francisco in
November 1983, when the bathhouses were still open and the virus that
causes AIDS had still not been isolated.
Pitchenik, A.E., Fischl, M.A., & Spira, T.J. Acquired immune deficiency
syndrome in low- risk patients: evidence for possible transmission by an
asymptomatic carrier. Journal of the American Medical Association, 250(1),
1310-1312. Cited in Pamphlet #1.
Pamphlet #1 states the following: "Toweling and general living around a
homosexual with AIDS appears to have infected some," using Pitchenik's
article as a reference. However, there is no mention of toweling or "general
living around a homosexual" anywhere in this article. The Pitchenik article in
no way supports the ISIS conclusion.
This is a study of two cases of AIDS which were transmitted by unknown
means. The first was a woman infected by her husband, an IV drug abuser.
She had a gay brother who lived in a different household and who was in good
health. The extent of their contact was not mentioned in the article. Her only
risk factor was regular sexual contact with her husband.
The second case was a man who received the infection by unknown means.
However, he did have an affair with "his girlfriend" about three years or more
before onset of symptoms. He also had a gay brother in a different
household who was in good health; their contact was "minimal."
Both cases apparently involved heterosexual transmission of the AIDS virus;
the source of infection in the second cases was unknown but probably came
from his affair of three years before. There is therefore no basis in this
article for ISIS' claims: they are completely false.
Rezza, G., et al. AIDS in Italy. Lancet, 1984, 2, 642. Cited in Pamphlet #4.
Pamphlet #4 uses this letter to the editor of Lancet to note that "at least 44%
of the gays with AIDS in Italy had had sex with U.S. sodomites." This letter
contains a table showing all ten cases of AIDS in Italy up to the time of
writing (July 31, 1984). Eight of these cases were gay; three of them had
traveled to the United States, and one had traveled to both the United States
and France. Thus, only 37$ (three cases of AIDS) could be identified
positively as having originated in the United States. Furthermore, the letter
does not indicate how these individuals contracted the disease. It mentions
sexual intercourse as only a "possible source of infection." The ISIS pamphlet
totally distorts data enumerated in this letter.
Swanson, D.W. Adult sexual abuse of children. Diseases of the Nervous
System, 1968, 22, 677-683. Cited in Pamphlet #2.
Pamphelt #2 uses this study to support one of its statistics on child
molestation, but Swanson says very clearly that "the present paper reports
on an unselected sample of men who sexually abused children" (p. 678).
Interview techniques differed from man to man as well. Finally, the sample
was way too low to draw conclusions to the general population of child sex
offenders, much less homosexuals: 25.
This study was merely an"effort to define the environmental circumstances
contributing to a sexual offense against children" (p. 683). ISIS' use of this
material to make generalizations about child offenders if therefore
unjustifiable.
Swigert, V.L., Farrell, R.A., & Yoels, W.C. Sexual homicide: Social,
psychological and legal aspects. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 1976, 5(5),
391-401. Cited in Pamphlet #3.
Pamphlet #3 uses this study thusly: "The only systematic study of sexual
murders in one jurisdiction was reported by Swigert, Farrell and Yoels in
1976." The only problem here is that Swigert, et al., are dealing with only
five murders, three of which were homosexual in nature.
444 homicide cases in "a large urban jurisdiction in the northeast" were
selected for the study. Of these, five qualified as "sexual homicides," three of
which were homosexual. The study itself states that the characteristics of
sexual homicide which it has discovered are of "theoretical interest."
ISIS says that the Swigert study "suggests that about 60% of all sexual
murders involve homosexuality," but the Swigert study suggests no such
thing because the sample size is way too small to draw any conclusions like
this one.
An equation of homosexuality and violent crime is an especial trademark of
Paul Cameron's work.
Tindall, R.H. The male adolescent involved with a pederast becomes an adult.
Journal of Homosexuality, 1978, 3(4), 373-382. Cited in Pamphlet #2.
Tindall notes in several places that this study of nine men was not
representative, or at least that "We do not know how representative these
cases are" (p. 375). The ISIS pamphlet notes that one of these nine men had
had homosexual relations with his teacher. Tindall points out that this man
"has had no desire for homosexual relations since age 20," that he was 46 at
the time of the study, and has a family of three children (p. 375)--
apparently none the worse for his experience. But ISIS fails to mention all
this.
Virkunnen, M. Victim-precipitated pedophilia offenses. British Journal of
Criminology, 1975, 15(2), 175-180. Cited in Pamphlet #2.
Pamphlet #2 uses this study to support one of its statistics that the ratio of
girl to boy victims of pedophilia in Helsinki was 2:1 (or 67%-33%). However,
it is not a representative study, which consisted of "all the pedophilia cases of
the years 1951 to 1972 which had been subjected to mental examination at
the Psychiatric Clinic of the Helsinki University Central Hospital" (p. 176)--
hardly a representative sample, especially when we consider that neither the
gender nor the sexual orientation of the offenders is even mentioned by
Virkunnen! Mention is merely made that 23 of the 64 victims were male and
41 female. The study involved 64 cases of pedophilia in toto, of which 31
were precipitated by the child and not the offender (p. 179).
This is a particularly sad article to read because it discusses in detail the
mental deficiencies of both the victim and the offender in many cases, with
the emphasis on the victim.
BOOKS
Bell, A.P. Homosexualities: their range and character. In Cole, J.K., &
Dienstbier, R. (Eds.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation. Lincoln, Nebraska:
University of Nebraska Press, 1973, 1-25. Cited in Pamphlet #7.
Pamphlet #7 uses this article in the following context: "There are six lines of
evidence which suggest that homosexual habits are learned:....1) in the
1940's, before the gay rights movement, Kinsey & company asked 1,700
homosexuals why they thought they had become homosexual (fn 1). In 1970,
the Kinsey group asked 979 gays the same question with almost identical
results (fn 2)."
Footnote 1 refers to a study by Gebhard and Johnson which was not available
to this present study. Footnote 2 refers to the Bell article, which shows that
when gay men were asked why they thought they had become homosexual,
"the majority of the white males did not mention parental influence at all. Of
those who did, the largest numbers mentioned an absent or distant father
and/or a dominating or suffocating and overprotective mother. Of those who
mentioned nonparental factors, 16% thought that their early homosexual
experiences were responsible for their becoming homosexual, 15% said that
they had simply been born that way, and 10% spoke of factors which resulted
in an opposite-sex gender identification." The ISIS pamphlet shows that only
9% thought they were born that way. Other statistics in the ISIS pamphlet
do not correspond with the Bell article but may have been derived in some
fashion from the Beghard study or some combination of Bell and Gebhard.
Even with the slim evidence from the Bell article, however, it is difficult to
determine how the ISIS pamphlet arrived at the conclusion that the majority
of homosexuals "learned" to be homosexual in this study. Bell's statistics are
too sketch for such a conclusion.
Cruikshank, M. Lesbian studies: present and future. New York: Feminist
Press, 1982. Cited in Pamphlet #2.
Pamphlet #2 notes here that two lesbian teacher-pupil interactions are
documented at pp. 15 and 27 of the book. This is true, but ISIS fails to
mention that one of the cases involved a college student and a college teacher.
The age of the student is never mentioned by ISIS. The student and the
teacher became involved in a relationship that lasted eight years. It is
entirely inappropriate, therefore, for the ISIS pamphlet to use this latter case
in a pamphlet on child molestation (Pamphlet #2).
The first case involved a 21-year old teacher at an Episcopal girls' school in
Vicksburg, Mississippi. The teacher had one encounter with a student while
employed at the school. Over the next seven years the teacher had no other
non-relational encounters. Her employer, who eventually became head of the
Episcopal Church in America, threatened to fire her for "corrupting the
youth." However, she kept her job. She is now a college teacher with tenure
at another location.
Gebhard, P.H., Gagnon, J.H., Pomeroy, W.B., & Christenson, C.V. Sex offenders:
an analysis of types. New York: Harper and Row, 1965. Cited in Pamphlets
#2, #4, #6, #7, #8, and #9.
ISIS uses this book in six of its nine pamphlets to support statistics and
other claims which it says are true of all homosexuals, such as that about
60% of homosexuals do not want to have monogamous relationships, that
the longest gay relationships last no more than three years, that
homosexuals are more frequently associated with criminality, about 2/3 of
gays have sex in public toilets, at least 1/4 of gays have sex with children,
and various statistics on urinating, fisting, S&M, etc.
But the book clearly states on p. 14 that "One of our basic assumptions is
that our data are unsuited to elaborate statistical treatment, and that
measures of statistical significance and expected variation are not ordinarily
helpful, since our data are not derived from probability sampling." The
Beghard study consisted of 1,356 white males who had been convicted of one
or more sexual offenses; 888 white males who had never been convicted for a
sex offense but who had been convicted for some other misdemeanor or
felony; and 477 white males who had never been convicted for anything
beyond traffic violations. Most of the men studied were heterosexual.
ISIS uses this book to make claims on everything from child molestation to
bestiality, but none of its statistics can be generalized to the entire
homosexual population.
Paul, W. Homosexuality and the law. In Paul, W., Weinrich, J.d., Gonsiorek,
J.C., and Hotvedt, M.E. (eds.), Homosexuality: social, psychological and
biological issues. Beverly Hills: Sage, 1982. Cited in Pamphlet #2.
ISIS uses this article to support the following statement near the beginning
of Pamphlet #2: "DO HOMOSEXUALS MOLEST THE UNDERAGE? Common
opinion answers 'yes' while gay activists claim that homosexuals are
proportionately less frequently involved with children and charges."
Gay activists make these claims because they are supported by statistics:
"Anti-homosexual spokespersons have even contended that homosexuals are
child molesters," the Paul article states, "even though reputable studies show
that only a minuscule fraction of sexual assaults on children are committed
by women or by homosexual males" (p. 275). Paul notes further that "Child
molestation is a mental illness (pedophilia) having no connection with sexual
preference....Moreover, since heterosexual teachers do not seem to be able to
change gay students' sexual preference, how the reverse is to be accomplished
is yet to be explained" (p. 327).
At any rate, the editors clearly state on p. 19 of their book that "...this volume
is not a comprehensive study of homosexual behavior; the subject is far too
complex." Similar thoughts are expressed throughout the book.
The ultimate irony in all this may be found on the dedication page:
"Dedicated to Clara Mayo...who fought against the poison of labels, and for
the individuality of all people." The ISIS pamphlet unfortunately does not
proceed in the same spirit.
Saghir, M.T., and Robins, E. Male and female homosexuality: a
comprehensive investigation. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1973. Cited
in Pamphlets #6 and #9.
Pamphlets #6 and #9 make various claims on the criminality of homosexuals
and use this book to support its claims. For example, Pamphlet #6 states
that homosexuals "generally are more frequently associated with
criminality..." and that "homosexuals much more frequently attempt
suicide...." Pamphlet #9 uses the Saghir and Robins study to claim that
homosexuals are less stable and are more involved in criminal activity.
None of these claims is supported by Saghir and Robins, who clearly state in
a special section called "Representativeness of the Samples" (p. 14) that "we
entertained no illusions concerning representative samples although we
realized that this would be the most desirable experimental situation....At the
present time, a sampling procedure of this nature is not possible with
homosexuals due to the social and legal stigmata attached to
homosexuality...."
Williams, C.J., and Weinberg, M.S. Homosexuals and the military. New York:
Harper and Row, 1971. Cited in Pamphlet #6.
Pamphlet #6 uses this study to assert that homosexuals "know that they do
wrong and that with effort they could quit." The Williams and Weinberg
survey, however, is not representative of the entire homosexual population:
"It is clear that we can make no claims of representativeness for our
sample....generalizations from our findings, therefore, are only suggestive."
CERTAIN COMMENTS ON "WHAT HOMOSEXUALS DO (ITS [sic] MORE THAN
MERELY DISGUSTING)" (LINCOLN, NEBRASKA: INSTITUTE FOR THE
SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION OF SEX, 1986)
By David Williams
In the opening paragraph of this pamphlet, ISIS quotes Thomas Jefferson as
saying that homosexuality "should be punished, if a man, by castration, if a
woman, by cutting through the cartilage of her nose a hole of one-half inch
in diameter at least." ISIS uses Jefferson's words as a basis for arguing in
favor of a continuation of laws which discriminate against homosexuals. The
pamphlet cites something called "Pines by Back to Basics, NY: Morrow, 1982,
p. 211" as the source for the quote.
The reference in itself is confusing. What does ISIS mean "Pines by"? Is this
the name of a man or an organization? And if a man, what are his initials?
This is exceedingly sloppy work unbefitting a pamphlet which on the surface
at least attempts to appear scholarly.
Despite this problem, I managed to locate the book at the Louisville Free
Public Library. It is by Burton Yale Pines, who, at the time of the writing of
the book, was Vice President of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think
tank which is often credited with the idea that "gay rights is special rights."
There are four problems with ISIS' quote. The first is a technicality, albeit an
important one; the second, an omission; the third, failure to take heed of the
quote in the context of Pines' book; the fourth, failure to understand the
historical context of the quote.
First of all, the quote in Pines' book says that those found guilty of sodomy
"shall" be punished, not "should" be, as in the ISIS pamphlet. This may not
seem a very important distinction to many people, but in a court of law it
makes a great deal of difference whether a person shall or should be
punished. The word "shall" carries much greater weight than the word
"should," a weaker word associated more with personal opinion than with
legal dictates.
ISIS has thus misquoted not only Mr. Pines, but, as we shall see, Mr. Jefferson.
(It is the only instance I have discovered thus far where the pamphlet is
more lenient than its source material).
The second problem arises from ISIS' failure to use the entire quote. In ISIS'
pamphlet, we are led to believe that Jefferson's quote pertains only to
homosexuals, but this is not the case. The entire quote from Jefferson, as
printed in Pines' book, is as follows:
"Whosoever shall be guilty of rape, polygamy, or sodomy with man or women,
shall be punished, if a man, by castration, if a woman, by cutting through the
cartilage of her nose a hole of one-half inch in diameter at the least."
In other words, rapists, polygamists, and heterosexuals who engage in
sodomitic practices with members of the opposite sex are to suffer the same
fate as homosexuals. Jefferson's proposal was therefore aimed not just at
homosexuals, but at many heterosexuals as well.
Granted that ISIS' pamphlet deals only with homosexuals; perhaps the
institute would argue that it is not pertinent to mention Jefferson's views on
heterosexual criminals. Yet the real sense of the quote is askewed by failure
to print it in its entirety. It would be as if Jefferson had written about "life
and liberty" but left out "the pursuit of happiness."
The third problem with this quote comes from the context of Pines' book
itself. Immediately after mentioning Jefferson's proscriptions, Pines goes on
to say that "Restoring such grisly penalties, of course, is not what Americans
have been demanding. Yet they do want criminals treated less indulgently
than they have been." He also chides a Northern California member of the
Moral Majority later in the book for suggesting that the death penalty be
restored for homosexuals. Considering that Paul Cameron of ISIS has
publicly suggested that AIDS victims be branded on their faces with indelible
ink, one wonders if he is to be included with the Americans that Pines
mentions.
The greatest irony may be that, although Pines in general condemns
homosexuality and any effort to lend validity to the "gay lifestyle," he does
state that "Teaching understanding and tolerance of homosexual couples may
be a commendable exercise in pluralistic America." ISIS does not mention
this passage.
Finally, the fourth and most important problem, which involves the
historical context of the quote.
Before the time of the American Revolution, many crimes which today might
merit only a stiff jail sentence were punishable by death--usually hanging.
Because sodomy was considered a capital offense, a number of homosexuals
met their fates at the gallows. The whole thrust of Jefferson's bill, on the
other hand, was to make the punishment more clearly fit the crime.
Modern man feels repugnance at the very thought of legal castrations or
mutilations, but in Jefferson's day it would have appeared to be a measure of
compassion of sorts. In other words, Jefferson's bill, far from being barbaric,
was actually a reform measure designed to eliminate capital punishment for
these and most other crimes in favor of less severe penalties.
However "enlightened" Jefferson's views might have been the State of Virginia
was not as willing to lessen the old penalties, and Jefferson's bill lost in the
House of Delegates by one vote.
Jefferson later had second thoughts about portions of his bill which
advocated hard labor for certain crimes: not even hard labor seemed to solve
the problem of crime in his day. An so perhaps his views on the punishment
of sodomy also changed with the passage of years. But, if they did, to my
knowledge they have not been recorded.
We can thus see from the above how dangerous it can be to pull quotes from
famous men and women of the past and attempt to apply them to modern
situations. The practice may never be eradicated, but hopefully its effects
may be blunted by more careful research and a greater attention to detail.